Why is Honey Processing Common in Costa Rica? How Many Types Are There?

When mentioning sweeter coffees, many people think of Costa Rican coffee, because most Costa Rican coffees use the Honey Process method. Honey processing is a coffee processing method that falls between natural and washed processing methods, capable of enhancing the coffee's sweetness and caramel-like texture.

The Origin of Honey Processing

Honey Process, also known as "Miel Proces," derives its "honey" from "Miel," which means honey in Spanish. The earliest term "honey processing" originated in Costa Rica, where locals liked to call the sticky mucilage layer inside the fruit "Miel."

Although Costa Rica is the birthplace of honey processing, its predecessor was actually Brazil's Pulped Natural processing method, initially invented to save production water. Costa Rica adopted this method, and its geographical environment led to the development of honey processing.

Historical Context and Development

Between approximately 1997 and 2000, due to low coffee prices in the international market, many coffee farmers stopped selling coffee cherries to large processing stations to obtain more income and sustain their livelihoods. Instead, they began selling coffee through self-production and self-marketing methods. As a result, coffee farmers gained control over processing methods and began experimenting more. At this time, Brazil's pulped natural method, with its water-saving characteristics, was introduced to Costa Rica.

Additionally, central Costa Rica is traversed by the Cordillera mountain range, which brings numerous mountains, basins, and volcanoes to the country. Therefore, Costa Rica's seven coffee-growing regions are all located in the central mountainous areas, with coffee cultivated at altitudes between 1200-1650 meters. However, as the country is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquakes are frequent, and it experienced a major earthquake in 2008.

Environmental Challenges Leading to Honey Processing

The earthquake caused severe power outages and water shortages in many areas. Combined with the country's predominantly high-altitude regions, water storage was difficult, making it challenging to support water-intensive washed processing. Additionally, unlike African countries with long periods of sunshine, natural processing also posed significant risks. Local coffee farmers began adopting this "water-saving" processing method.

Although some people initially believed that this processing method, which dries coffee with pulp and mucilage intact, could easily lead to uncontrollable fermentation, many farms achieved positive results after experimentation, while significantly reducing water consumption. Later, through continuous improvements, honey processing was formed, and various honey processing methods were developed by controlling the degree of mucilage fermentation to create different flavors.

The Improved Honey Processing Method

The improved honey processing method involves using a depulper to remove the coffee cherry's skin and some mucilage after harvesting, then immediately spreading them evenly on high drying racks without any water contact. By precisely controlling the thickness of the mucilage layer and drying duration, the method is subdivided into black honey, red honey, yellow honey, and white honey.

Different Types of Honey Processing

Since mucilage contains many sugars, when green beans with retained mucilage are exposed to air, oxidation occurs. The bean's outer surface changes from its initial yellowish-white to golden yellow. With longer fermentation times, the beans may turn dark red or even black-purple until the entire drying process is complete.

Red honey processing retains 80% of the mucilage and requires 12 days of sun-drying, resulting in beans with a reddish-brown surface. Yellow honey processing retains 40-60% of the mucilage layer and requires about 8 days of sun-drying. Due to the thinner mucilage layer, the bean surface presents a yellowish-brown color. White honey retains less than 40% of the mucilage layer and has a shorter drying time, resulting in lighter-colored beans. Black honey processing removes almost no mucilage and requires more than 14 days of continuous drying, giving the bean surface a black-purple appearance.

Raisin Honey Processing

Currently, a newer and more complex processing method is popular in Costa Rica: raisin honey processing. In this method, after harvesting coffee cherries, fully ripe red fruits are selected through flotation, then spread directly for drying. After the skin wrinkles like raisins, the skin and pulp are removed, preserving the semi-dry mucilage to continue drying until the entire process is complete.

This processing method uses almost no water and retains 100% of the mucilage, providing more sugars to the coffee beans and presenting the highest sweetness. However, this method requires higher standards, carries greater risks of spoilage, and demands more attention to manage the processing green beans.

FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rican Offering

At FrontStreet Coffee, there is a coffee from the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica called FrontStreet Coffee's Mirazu Manor Strawberry Candy, which uses raisin honey processing. When tasted after brewing, it presents strawberry and raisin flavors in the initial sip, with candy and nut flavors in the aftertaste, along with a creamy, honey-like texture.

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